Portland University
Encyclopedia
Portland University was a private, Methodist post-secondary school in Portland, Oregon
, United States. Founded in 1891 in a split from Willamette University
, the school closed in 1900. The campus was located in what is now the University Park neighborhood
and later became home of the University of Portland
. The original campus building, West Hall
, still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
to serve as dean. In 1891, the school built the Administration Hall that became West Hall. Portland University opened in September 1891 with an enrollment of 256 students the first year. This was the only building on the campus with a nearby general store, Hemstock & Sons, serving as the bookstore.
Located at University Park, the school sold plots of property surrounding the campus to raise funds for the school. They had partnered with the Portland Guarantee Company to sell bonds, using the proceeds from the sale to buy 600 acres (2.4 km²) in what is now North Portland. This venture then deeded 71 acres (287,327.1 m²) to the school and sold plots for as much as $550. The location of the campus was on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River
, with the river to the west. Much of the area was rural farmland at the time and local homes served as boarding houses for the students. Due to the remoteness, the school offered to have teachers meet new students at the streetcar stop located at University Park for the trek to the school. One impressive home in the area was the university president’s home, which was not on campus at the time.
Courses of study included Latin, science, art, and literature. The school grew to an enrollment of 500 by 1894 and included a literary department, a school of theology, music and fine arts department, and a college preparatory division. This last division had affiliations around the state with academies including Drain Academy, Lebanon Academy, Ashland Academy, and the La Creole Academy in Dallas
.
, the school suffered a series of financial setbacks. The panic led to decreased enrollment and a severe drop off in the sales of the homesites. Bonds for the venture became due in 1896, but the school was unable to make these payments. Thus the property reverted to the original owners of the property. Internal disputes and these financial problems led the school to leave the campus and hold classes in East Portland in 1896 to 1897 after Van Scoy became president of the institution. Other difficulties included a lawsuit in 1898 against the school’s affiliated corporation that sold the plots for the surrounding homes.
By 1898, the school had abandoned the University Park campus. Others who served as president of the university were Arthur J. Brown and George Whitaker
(1899). Portland University finally closed in May 1900 with many of students and faculty reuniting with Willamette University in Salem
. Alumni of the Portland school were then recognized as alumni of Willamette, and most of the records of the school were transferred to Willamette.
. He was able to purchase the campus itself in trade for a couple of properties owned by archdiocese in Portland and $1. Land sold by Portland University became the subject of a lawsuit by a subsequent landowner over an easement for a road through the campus. West Hall still stands, but was renamed in 1992 as Waldschmidt Hall
. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States. Founded in 1891 in a split from Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
, the school closed in 1900. The campus was located in what is now the University Park neighborhood
University Park, Portland, Oregon
University Park is a neighborhood in the north section of Portland, Oregon on the east shore of the Willamette River.* Acreage: 11.26* Acquired in 1953...
and later became home of the University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
. The original campus building, West Hall
Waldschmidt Hall
Waldschmidt Hall is an academic building at the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon, United States. Constructed in 1891 as West Hall, the building was originally part of the now defunct Portland University located in North Portland overlooking the Willamette River. The Romanesque style...
, still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
Willamette University chancellor Charles Carroll Stratton founded the Methodist school in Portland in 1891. The school lured away some faculty members and students from Willamette, and even enticed Willamette’s president Thomas Van ScoyThomas Van Scoy
Thomas Van Scoy was an American minister and educator in Indiana, Oregon, and Montana. A Methodist, he served as the sixth president of Willamette University and as president of the now defunct Portland University...
to serve as dean. In 1891, the school built the Administration Hall that became West Hall. Portland University opened in September 1891 with an enrollment of 256 students the first year. This was the only building on the campus with a nearby general store, Hemstock & Sons, serving as the bookstore.
Located at University Park, the school sold plots of property surrounding the campus to raise funds for the school. They had partnered with the Portland Guarantee Company to sell bonds, using the proceeds from the sale to buy 600 acres (2.4 km²) in what is now North Portland. This venture then deeded 71 acres (287,327.1 m²) to the school and sold plots for as much as $550. The location of the campus was on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
, with the river to the west. Much of the area was rural farmland at the time and local homes served as boarding houses for the students. Due to the remoteness, the school offered to have teachers meet new students at the streetcar stop located at University Park for the trek to the school. One impressive home in the area was the university president’s home, which was not on campus at the time.
Courses of study included Latin, science, art, and literature. The school grew to an enrollment of 500 by 1894 and included a literary department, a school of theology, music and fine arts department, and a college preparatory division. This last division had affiliations around the state with academies including Drain Academy, Lebanon Academy, Ashland Academy, and the La Creole Academy in Dallas
Dallas, Oregon
The city of Dallas is the county seat of Polk County, Oregon, United States. The population was 14,583 at the 2010 census.Dallas is located on Rickreall Creek, approximately 15 miles west of Salem, at an altitude of 325 feet above sea level...
.
Decline
Following the Panic of 1893Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
, the school suffered a series of financial setbacks. The panic led to decreased enrollment and a severe drop off in the sales of the homesites. Bonds for the venture became due in 1896, but the school was unable to make these payments. Thus the property reverted to the original owners of the property. Internal disputes and these financial problems led the school to leave the campus and hold classes in East Portland in 1896 to 1897 after Van Scoy became president of the institution. Other difficulties included a lawsuit in 1898 against the school’s affiliated corporation that sold the plots for the surrounding homes.
By 1898, the school had abandoned the University Park campus. Others who served as president of the university were Arthur J. Brown and George Whitaker
George Whitaker (Oregon educator)
George Whitaker was an American minister and university president in Texas and Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he served as the president of Wiley College in Texas, along with Willamette University and Portland University in Oregon...
(1899). Portland University finally closed in May 1900 with many of students and faculty reuniting with Willamette University in Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. Alumni of the Portland school were then recognized as alumni of Willamette, and most of the records of the school were transferred to Willamette.
Legacy
In 1901, Rev. Alexander Christie with financing from the Congregation of Holy Cross purchased the former campus and opened a Catholic school at the site that would eventually become Columbia University and is now the University of PortlandUniversity of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
. He was able to purchase the campus itself in trade for a couple of properties owned by archdiocese in Portland and $1. Land sold by Portland University became the subject of a lawsuit by a subsequent landowner over an easement for a road through the campus. West Hall still stands, but was renamed in 1992 as Waldschmidt Hall
Waldschmidt Hall
Waldschmidt Hall is an academic building at the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon, United States. Constructed in 1891 as West Hall, the building was originally part of the now defunct Portland University located in North Portland overlooking the Willamette River. The Romanesque style...
. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1977.
Further reading
- McIntire, G. R. (1942). History of the Methodist University of Portland, 1891-1900, in Relation to the Educational policy of the Methodist Episcopal Church (North). OCLC 28162598